The American Dental Association (ADA) has stated that evidence exists that links bacteria in our mouth, present when there is gum disease is linked to the occurrence of heart disease including artery blockages and the increased risk for stroke.

On a daily basis you can actively prevent gum disease by brushing your teeth properly to remove plaque, use a fluoride toothpaste to help prevent tooth decay, floss your teeth daily so that you can rid your teeth of the plaque in between them that your toothbrush misses, and by using a antimicrobial mouth rinse to provide extra help with plaque control. It is also important to have your teeth cleaned professionally twice a year when you have your dental exams. These dental exams can catch gum disease in the early stage when it is reversible.

Think about how important your mouth is to you for a moment…. we use our mouth to eat, drink, speak and we would look pretty strange without our teeth. It is surprising that so few individuals take the time to really do proper dental hygiene at home or when at work. Approximately 80% of the adults in America today have gum disease. Some have the mild form of gum disease called gingivitis and other have the more serious form called periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is when there can be some serious damage to your teeth, bone and gum tissue that can lead to tooth loss and possibly systemic bacterial illness.

This is a common form of treatment for gum disease. Scaling is the removal of calculus, also called tartar as well as plaque. Root planing is the removal of any calculus from irregular tooth surfaces and also it smoothes our root surface irregularities.

Scaling and root planing removes the irritants that can cause gum disease. If someone is in the early stages of gum disease, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment necessary.

Some dental patients experience discomfort during this procedure, so local anesthetic may be used in the area being worked on by the dentist.

Gum disease can happen to anyone at any age. It is important to protect your health by caring for your mouth, teeth and gums with proper oral hygiene and regular visits to your dentist. Each family member will have special oral needs at different times of their lives.

Over all the steps a family can take to protect their oral health are to:

Schedule regular visits with your dentist. Most insurance programs pay for two yearly visits at 6-month intervals.
Brush teeth on a regular basis after meals.
Floss once a day to remove food particles from between your teeth.
Use a mouth rinse daily.

Older adults can have teeth that last a lifetime if they took good care of their teeth and gums during the youth and adulthood. There is no time in life when you can relax about your oral care needs. Seniors can encounter special dental needs such as dentures, complications from the medications they take and changes in their mouth.

Older adults are at higher risk for cavities and decay at the root surfaces. This risk makes it more important than ever to continue good dental hygiene.

Seniors should continue to brush at least twice a day, floss once a day and see their dentist every 6 months.

It is apparent that periodontal disease threatens our teeth, because the logic is easy to follow. The threat that lies hidden beneath the understanding of what most of us see on the surface, is that periodontal disease also threatens our health in ways other than what is contained in our oral cavity. The threat is especially true for the elderly, pregnant women, unborn babies, and also the chronically ill. The American Academy of Periodontology takes this threat seriously and wants all of us to do the same. They have been striving to educate the public about the threat of periodontal disease since July of 1998.

Teens who have formed good dental hygiene habits in their youth will have an easier time with oral care as teens. Since puberty hits during the teen years it is especially important that teens continue to take good care of their gums, mouth and teeth. Puberty means increasing levels of hormones and that means more blood going to their gums. This extra blood usually results in sensitive gums and more irritation to the gums.

During the teen years there are several events that may occur.

Gum disease is often thought of as an oral disease of neglect. If you do not treat your teeth and gums well and give them what they need then they will break down and develop a multitude of problems. In this way, your teeth and gums are no different than the rest of the human body.

The basics of optimum dental health in order to not have to worry about gum disease in the future are really quite simple. It is important to brush and floss the teeth on a regular basis and to get enough fluoride to strengthen the teeth and fight cavities from developing. It is also essential to eat a healthy diet and to receive regular dental care from a qualified dental professional. This includes regular dental exams and cleanings.

Pregnant women have many concerns for their health and the health of their unborn babies. One concern is for premature birth or low birth weight babies. Studies have recently suggested that there may be a connection between premature birth/low birth babies and the presence of gum disease. There is more research currently being done to confirm those studies but it is recommended that pregnant women adhere to proper oral hygiene in order to prevent gum disease. A healthy mouth means that bacteria have one less chance of entering the body, which promotes better health for the mom-to-be and a healthier mom-to-be means a healthier baby.

Gum disease is one of the main causes of tooth loss. Gum disease in its mildest form is called gingivitis and in its severest form it is called periodontitis.

Gingivitis when treated can be reversed and the mouth returned to a healthy state. If left untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis.

Periodontitis involves damage to gum tissue and possibly the bone surrounding the tooth. Teeth can become loose and actually fall out.

Gum disease is often thought to be a problem that only the elderly suffer from. This is not the case. Gum disease can strike people of any age. Contrary to popular belief, gum disease is not always a result of not taking proper care of the teeth and gums. In the United States it is the presence of gum disease, and not the process of aging that leads to the loss of one or more teeth. Let us take a closer look at gum disease.

Unfortunately chronic gingivitis is very commonly found in young children. Gingivitis is the first stage in gum disease and should be taken seriously. It is rare to find the advanced forms of gum disease in children but it does happen.

When children have gingivitis they often will experience red, swollen and bleeding gums. If these symptoms are ignored and gingivitis goes untreated, the child will develop more advanced forms of gum disease.

An infection in the tissue that supports the teeth is called gum disease.

Your teeth are supported by your gums (gingiva). Fibers called periodontal ligaments actually anchor the roots of your teeth. There is a V-shaped gap (sulcus) between your teeth and your gums. Gum disease actually affects this gap. Gum disease means that there is a breakdown in the tissues supporting the teeth. If the breakdown is limited to just the gums, the disease is called gingivitis. If only the periodontal ligaments and bone are involved the disease is called periodontitis.

Gum disease does not just happen all at once or sneak up on a person out of the blue. Gum disease is a problem that goes through a variety of stages and can start mild and then can become more serious and chronic as time passes. That is why it is so important to catch it at its earliest stage, in order to prevent further damage to the teeth, gums and surrounding bone.

Some causes of gum disease such as not doing proper maintenance of your teeth are obvious but others are less so. Did you know that gum disease is more common in girls than in boys because of hormonal fluctuations? Due to hormonal changes in girls and women over their lifetime, such as the onset of puberty, pregnancy and the changes that accompany menopause, the gums can become more sensitive and therefore more susceptible to the development of problems.

It is estimated that approximately 15 percent of all adults between the ages of 21 and 50 years have some form of gum disease. For adults over the age of 50, the percentage is even higher- closer to 30 percent. Gum disease is also a combination disease of the gums, bone and teeth.

What causes gum disease? This is a question with a variety of different answers. Those professionals in the business of teeth believe that gum disease is caused by a number of different factors. Let us take a look at each one.

Plaque

Periodontal disease is another name for advanced gum disease. It starts out as gingivitis, which can then develop into a more serious oral problem if nothing is done about it. The key is to make oral hygiene a top priority. Brush and floss your teeth regularly and eat a diet that promotes strong healthy teeth, bones and gums. Visit your dentist at least twice a year for a routine exam and cleanings. If you notice any bleeding, inflammation, soreness or redness of the gums in between dental visits then schedule one right away and don't wait. This also goes for sensitive and loose teeth.

Approximately 80% of American adults have some degree of gum disease. Gum disease can be something that is easily reversed by continued daily brushing and flossing to something more serious that can damage soft gum tissue, bone and cause tooth loss.

Gum disease can be prevented with proper oral hygiene that includes brushing at least twice daily, flossing once a day and using a dental rinse.

Bacteria from plaque deposited on teeth from left over food particles are what cause gum disease.

Plaque that is not removed by brushing and flossing within 48 hours turns to calculus (tartar). Dentist's tools can only remove this hardened calculus.

Taking above average care of yourself in every way is extremely important and should be high on every person's priority list. Yet another reason to eat right, get plenty of rest, exercise frequently and practice good hygiene is because it can affect what is happening in your mouth at any given time.

In July of 1998 the American Academy of Periodontology did a series of studies that pointed to something they had long suspected- that infections that develop in the mouth can cause problems in other parts of the body.

The treatment for advanced gum disease is twofold- the goal is to control and heal any infection that has set in and to also stop the further progression of the problem. Treatment options that will be encouraged include home care maintenance such as proper brushing and flossing as well as eating a healthy diet of foods that support the gums, teeth and surrounding bone. Non-surgical therapies can also be put into play such as deep cleaning in the form of scaling and root planing which helps to inhibit the development of dangerous bacteria in the mouth. In the most serious of cases, surgery could be needed to restore the bone and supporting tissues. Dentists often recommend that patients of gum disease give up smoking and relative drinking in order to increase the success rate of their treatment.